What can you do in Bali in two weeks?

Two weeks is enough to leave the tourist south entirely for part of the trip, which is where Bali starts to be remarkable.

The full-island loop

Nights 1 to 3: Ubud. Arrive, acclimatise, the classic sights early in the morning, a cooking class, a spa.

Nights 4 to 5: Munduk or Bedugul. Waterfalls, lakes, cool nights, walking. Jatiluwih on the way.

Nights 6 to 7: Pemuteran or Lovina, the north coast. Menjangan snorkelling, hot springs, quiet.

Nights 8 to 9: Amed. Shore diving on the Liberty wreck, sunrise over Rinjani, black sand.

Nights 10 to 11: Sidemen. Rice terraces under Agung, water palaces, rafting.

Nights 12 to 14: the south. Canggu, Seminyak or Uluwatu, to finish on a beach.

Five moves, each short, in a loop that never doubles back. This is the trip that returning visitors design for themselves.

The two weeks with an island

Nights 1 to 3: Ubud.

Nights 4 to 6: Nusa Penida or Lembongan.

Nights 7 to 10: Gili Air, Gili Trawangan or Lombok. Fast boat from Padang Bai or Sanur.

Nights 11 to 14: south Bali.

Fewer places, more water, and the best version for anyone who wants to swim every day.

The two weeks with Java

Nights 1 to 4: south Bali.

Nights 5 to 9: east Java. Ferry or short flight, then Ijen's blue fire and acid lake, Mount Bromo at sunrise, and if you have the time, Yogyakarta with Borobudur and Prambanan.

Nights 10 to 14: Ubud and the coast.

The most rewarding version for anyone interested in landscape and history, and the most logistically demanding. See the Java overland route.

What two weeks lets you fix

Weather. A washed-out day stops mattering.

Distance. The north and east stop being unreasonable.

Depth. A dive certification, a multi-day trek, a week of surf lessons, or a proper stay somewhere with no tourism.

Rest. Two weeks with three rest days is a better trip than two weeks of activities, every time.

Practical structure

• Move in the mornings, always.
• No more than five bases, and three or four is better.
• Put the long drives early in the trip, while the novelty is high.
• Finish near the airport. Sanur, Seminyak or Jimbaran on the last two nights, not Amed.
• Build in one buffer day if the trip includes a boat crossing.

Costs for two weeks

Per person, sharing, excluding flights:

• Backpacker: 600 to 900 USD.
• Comfortable: 1,600 to 2,600.
• Villas, drivers and boats: 4,000 and up.

The north and east are substantially cheaper than the south for equivalent quality, which pulls the average down on the loop itinerary.

Two weeks with children

Cut the loop to three bases: Sanur or Nusa Dua, Ubud, and one island or the east. Use half-days, keep the drives under two hours, and treat pool time as part of the plan rather than the gap between plans.

Two weeks in wet season

Do the loop in reverse and spend more of the trip in the south and east, which get less rain than the highlands. Keep two flexible days, expect afternoons to be wet, and take the discount: February accommodation across the island is 30 to 50 per cent below August for the same rooms.

What to book ahead, and what not to

Book accommodation for the first three bases and leave the last two open if you are travelling outside peak season. Book boats and flights between islands in advance. Leave drivers, activities, dives and classes to arrange on the ground, where they are cheaper and where a local recommendation beats an online listing.

The mistake people make with two weeks

Filling it. Two weeks in Bali with a full schedule is more tiring than two weeks at work, because everything takes longer than planned and the heat does the rest. Three rest days, spread out, and the trip works.